Besides the CPU, you’ll also need 4GB of RAM. You could get away with 2GB, but you’ll probably get some serious performance issues. You can always adjust the settings to optimize the FPS though, so give it a try anyway.

And lastly, you’ll need enough space to install the game. At the time of this writing, CS:GO takes up about 6-8GB of space (people say different things), so make sure you have enough free space on your Chromebook’s SSD to install it. If you don’t, you can install the game to external storage and play it from there.

If you don’t have enough space on your Chromebook and you don’t have external storage, you can either make space by deleting your unnecessary files or buy Chromebook-compatible external storage. You can use an external hard drive, thumb drive, or even an SD card depending on what your laptop accepts.

Most newer devices should be able to match all the required specs easily.

How to install CS:GO on your Chromebook

Learn how to get CS:GO on your Chromebook and get your game on anywhere in the world!

Okay, so now that we have the hardware requirements out of the way, we can get to the actual guide.

This is where the fun starts.

Here’s an overview of what we’ll be doing:

Backing up your stuff

Enabling Developer Mode

Download Crouton

Installing Linux

Installing Steam

Installing CS:GO

Sound good? Ready to get started? Good. Let’s go.

Step 1: Back up your data

Doing this will automatically delete everything on your device and restore it back to factory conditions. There’s no way around this and it’s a necessary step, so be sure to back up your data before proceeding.

Everything will be wiped, including:

Files in your “Downloads” folder

Files in any custom folders and directories you’ve created

Your Chromebook settings

Apps you’ve downloaded from the Chrome Web Store or Google Play Store

Any other customizations you’ve done

Everything in your Google Account will be safe, however. This means your Google Drive, Gmail, and all account settings will be untouched. This data is stored on Google’s servers- not your Chromebook.

When you’re ready, read this tutorial on how to back up your Chromebook. It’s an easy and complete guide on how to do it since I’m far too lazy to retype it all here. Go there and follow the steps. Then come back here when you’re done. Feel free to skim through it and only use the relevant sections.

Step 3: Get Crouton

I strongly recommend you at least skim over the FAQ page as it contains a lot of important information about installing Linux. It’s an easy read even if you have no idea what you’re doing. Keep this page handy.

Another page you may want to refer to is the Crouton troubleshooting page. This contains a detailed process that I recommend you to follow exactly if you can’t get Linux installed. Refer to this page if you get stuck in Step 4.

So now that you have Crouton downloaded, we can go ahead and install Linux.

Step 4: Install Linux

Linux is a free and open-source kernel that we’ll be using to install Steam and eventually Counter-Strike.

(Isn’t it awesome that pretty much everything you ever need comes in the form of open-source?)

Here’s an interesting fact: Chrome OS was built with Linux!

Linux is secure, safe, and easy to use once you get used to it. It’s like learning how to use a Mac when you’ve been using Windows, or vice versa. Linux is no exception. If you ever get stuck, just do a search online. There are tons of Linux tutorials online that can solve nearly any issue you’re having trouble with.

And if you really can’t figure out a solution, post a comment here and I’ll try to help you out!

We’ll be using Xfce

We’ll be installing the Linux Ubuntu LTS with the Xfce desktop environment.

With Crouton, you can easily change what Linux distro you want to install. There are dozens of them that all vary in performance, functionality, features, etc. The desktop environment can also be customized to be something super flashy with lots of animations and effects to something extremely bare-bones and lightweight for performance. Xfce is the latter.

I figure that the majority of Chromebooks have basic hardware and a lightweight desktop environment would be the best bet so you can get a better FPS in-game.

Why waste system resources on having a pretty and fancy desktop when your game will lag and stutter?

Use that limited RAM and CPU power for the game’s performance instead. But of course, the choice is yours. If you want a different desktop environment, there are many to choose from. Perhaps you have a thing for flashy animations. Or you want a modern-looking Linux desktop. Or you have a strong Chromebook that can handle anything.

If you want to customize your installation, add touchscreen support, change the default browser, change the desktop environment, or do whatever else, check out this complete guide on installing Linux.

If you’re okay with just installing the basic version of Linux, then proceed.

Here’s how to install Linux:

Launch the command prompt in Chrome OS by pressing “CTRL + ALT + T.”

After you get the command prompt, type the following commands (with no quotes):

“shell” and hit Enter.

“sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -t xfce” and hit Enter.

That’s it. Crouton will now automatically install Linux in the background. This may take a while, so go look up some CS:GO strats or watch some killer videos, like this one:

After it’s done installing, launch Linux by typing the following command:

“sudo startxfce4” and hit Enter.

You’ll be booted into Linux, where you’ll go ahead and install Steam.

Getting an error?

If you’re getting an error that reads something like:

“Can’t open /home/chronos/user/downloads/crouton”

It probably means you’re either not in Developer Mode, there’s an error in the command, or it’s saved in the wrong directory.

Here’s how to fix it:

Double-check that you’re in Developer Mode. Chrome OS won’t let you launch Crouton without being in Developer Mode as a security measure. You can check if Developer Mode is on like this:

Launch the command prompt (press “CTRL + ALT + T”).

Type “shell” and hit Enter.

If you get an error that reads “ERROR: unknown command: shell” it means that Dev Mode is off and needs to be enabled. Do a Powerwash and start over at Step 2.

If the command works, then make sure the Crouton command you input is typed exactly as shown:

“sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -t xfce”

Remember, casing matters.

If that still doesn’t work, it means you have Crouton saved in another directory. Move it to the “Downloads” folder, or change the code to match the folder you saved it in.

And lastly, if all else fails, use this guide to fix it. Follow the steps exactly.

You’ll be installing CS:GO via Steam.

Step 5: Install Steam

Now that you’re done installing Linux, get familiar with your brand new environment.

You can play around with it, install programs and apps, and customers all the settings and features of it- later =].

Right now, let’s install Steam so we can get CS going. How does that sound?

As you may know, CS:GO is supported by Steam and also runs on Linux. Thus, the easiest way is to get the game through Steam. Steam is also relatively easy to install and I already have a tutorial on how to install Steam on a Chromebook you can refer to.

Again, go through the tutorial and come back here when you’re done.

If you have any questions, post them here in the comments section and I’ll get back to you ASAP. Skim through it and skip over the parts you’ve already done in this tutorial. If you’re confused, leave a comment. But it’s pretty straightforward.

At this point, you should be done installing Steam on Linux on Chromebook. Now we can proceed to the final step- installing Global Offensive!

Step 6: Install CS:GO

Just launch Steam. Log into your account if you haven’t already. Find the game in your library and install it.

If you don’t have enough space on your Chromebook, it won’t work. You’ll have to install the game on an external storage device. You can choose where to install it when Steam prompts you.

If you don’t know how, you can refer to this WoW installation tutorial and look for the section about specifying a different location to install games in Steam. It’s written for World of Warcraft, but the Steam install location applies to any game.

With these settings (or even lower), you should be able to play somewhat competitive and not have the game look too bad. I’m running an older Chromebook and I average around 27-34 FPS depending on what’s happening during the game. It’s not ideal, but it’s definitely playable.

If you have a beefy Chromebook you bought just for gaming, you can feel free to turn the settings up to your wishes.

Screwed up? Do a Powerwash.

If you screwed up somewhere and you can’t figure out how to fix the issue, you can easily start over and have your Chromebook reset all the bugs and errors by doing a Powerwash.

If you think you broke something or bricked it, a Powerwash is always a good choice. Since you already backed up all your stuff (you did, right?), you have nothing to lose and you’ll start over with a clean slate.

Are you now playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on your Chromebook?

You’re ready to RUSH B. Get your team together and scrim.

That’s it. You’re all set.

If you have any questions, just leave a comment and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

If you found this guide to be helpful, let me know as well =]. And consider telling a clanmate about it. Then y’all can dominate the map as a clan…on their Chromebooks.

About Andy Z.

Andy is a casual-hardcore Chrome OS fan and contributes to the site regularly. He likes computers, tech, sports cars, videogames, and of course, Chromebooks. Thinker. Introvert. Geek. You can find him on Twitter (@platytech), or send him an email (platy@platypusplatypus.com).

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GUEST

Maria

so i’ve got everything downloaded and done and I’m attempting to play but it says I need to free up disk space… is there anything i can do?

Awesome.1Bad. Reply

1 month ago

GUEST

tommy

hey succefully running inux xfce4 downloaded steam and csgo but when i try to start cs it opens a windown for a split seccond the closes. any fixs

Awesome.0Bad. Reply

1 month ago

GUEST

nanonano

Andy, i have mi Cs installed in mi chromebook. I have a problem with de mousse. You know maybe whats going on? Because i tried to change a lot of thing in the mousse options and nothing happend. The real problem is that the player, me, cant move 360. Is short to move to left and right.

Hello there i have a little problem with downloading Linux because the command doesn’t work at all. I have checked that my chromebook is in Dev mode with the “shell” command and i have crouton in the download file but the “sudo sh~/Downloads/crouton -t xfce” doesn’t work so i don’t know what to do Hope you’ll answer soon
Thanks

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